Effects of Technology in the 1940’s

743 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: technological advancements during ww2

The 40’s were best known for World War II, but did you know that Velcro was invented during this time period? In the 1940’s, technological changes occurred with their effects being both positive and negative, but these effects have benefited society more by being the basis of many things used today. The technology in the 1940’s had undergone many changes. Some of the changes in technology were that the first US jet plane was flown . Also, the first nuclear reactor and the first atomic bomb were created but both of these contributed to the death of hundreds of thousands of people. The first computer was invented. As were the Polaroid camera, which was the first instant camera, and the transistor, which helped advance video and television technologies. Penicillin became popular for use as an antibiotic during World War II. All of these had an impact in some way (Science in the 1940’s). Technology made throughout the 1940’s had positive effects. The first US jet plane, the Bell XP-59A Airacomet, was first flown in 1942. While this plane was never used in combat during World War II, it “gave the United States Army Air Force and the United States Navy valuable experience with jet aircraft technology and helped pave the way to more advanced designs” (Bell XP-59A Airacomet). It led to the development of faster and more efficient jet planes. RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging) was first used practically in the 40’s. RADAR was used in World War II to control and guide ships and planes and to detect enemy craft. RADAR was also discovered to be able to detect rain, snow, and other forms of precipitation. During World War II, RADAR operators noticed that rain and such kept appearing on the RADAR fields. It was during this time ... ... middle of paper ... ...apons Program." Federation of American Scientists. N.p., 16 Apr. 2000. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. . "CP-1 (Chicago Pile 1 Reactor)." Argonne National Laboratory. U.S. Department of Energy, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. . "RADAR Days." The Franklin Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. . "Science in the 1940's." The Heroism Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. . Sherrow, Victoria. The Making of the Atomic Bomb. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, Inc., 2000. Print. "The ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer)." Temple University. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. . "World's Largest Gun." 5AD Online!. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. .

Show More
Related

  • World Fair Dbq

    1633 Words  | 4 Pages

    New inventions in communication such as the telephone invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 and soon after radio communication made long distance communication quicker and easier than using a telegraph http://www.skwirk.com/p-c_s-14_u-424_t-1100_c-4258/the-second-industrial-revolution/nsw/history/the-industrial-revolution/the-impact-of-the-industrial-revolution. Transportation was influenced by the invention of electric traction and the electric motor which were used in streetcars and subway systems. Manufacturing was also influenced by electricity; it allowed production to rely on artificially generated power rather than the force of human strength or steam power which greatly increased work productivity http://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/24470.

    Read More

  • Northern Advantages Of The American Civil War

    974 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... deadlier more accurate weapons. Another technology was the telegraph which drastically increased communication leading to eventually leading to phones.

    Read More

  • Technological Advances in World War 2

    511 Words  | 2 Pages

    New advances in technology changed warfare in WW2. The change in technology since WW1 has produced such things as Atom Bomb, and new and improved sea and air warfare. New techniques had to be used because of technology, techniques such as 'mouseholing'. More people were killed because of technology, as more people died in WW2 than WW1.The technological advances in WW2 changed the battlefield completely as more deadly auxiliary was introduced.

    Read More

  • How Did The 1950s Influence The 1940s

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    1940s and its Influence Most of WWII took place half way through the 1940s, which had a reflective result on the majority of countries and citizens in Europe and Asia. The penalty of warfare lingered into the next part of the decade. Europe separated among the spheres of influence of the Soviet Union and the West foremost to the start of the Cold War. The 1940s also witnessed the premature early stages of new technologies including computers, nuclear power and jet propulsion, often first developed in tandem with the war effort, and later adapted and improved upon in the post-war era. The 1940s connects to the influence of contemporary America because it was the decade that changed so many things in life, not just the government.

    Read More

  • Inventions of the 1920s

    508 Words  | 2 Pages

    Through out the 1920’s many inventions were created that altered human civilization. Transportation was successfully mastered. Radio communication was becoming more common and medicine was saving more and more lives every day.

    Read More

  • The World War II: Air War

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Radar during World War II." - GHN: IEEE Global History Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. .

    Read More

  • Technological Advancements of World War !

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    Advancements in technology and science contributed to one the most gory and bloodiest war in the annals of human existence. These new technological advancements revolutionized how people regarded war. War was no longer where the opposite forces fought in a coordinated battle. War evolved into game of cunning strategy where the side with the bigger, powerful, and smarter toys played better. This led to a fierce competition where each side tried to create the smarter machines and better weapons, leading to deadly mass killing weapons in the process. One weapon or machine was created and an even better one was made. New developments such as machine guns, poison gas, tanks, and new strategy to thwart trench warfare affected how WWI was fought and it came with catastrophic results.

    Read More

  • 1920s technology

    537 Words  | 2 Pages

    The radio revolutionised the way families spent time together and receive information. The movie theaters had an impact on how people forgot about the depression and made life seem better. Many homes in the 1920s also just got access to electricity while many homes were still lit by candle light, but became more prominent as the time period continued. Labor saving appliances of the 1920s made the household chores easy to accomplish than it used to be. The 1920s was enriched by many technological achievements that helped changed the way americans communicated, managed their health, and partook in leisurely activities.

    Read More

  • The Similarities and Differences of the 1920’s and 1950’s

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    Out of some of the most turbulent times in history have come the greatest ages of success and prosperity. The 1920’s and 1950’s are two eras that exemplify the spirit of triumph and wealth. In both decades, a nation thrilled by the victorious conclusion of war and the return of their loved ones from war entered into an age of capitalism and materialism, bolstering the economy and with it national pride. Some of features most common to the 20’s and 50’s were consumerism and the accompanying optimistic mindset, the extent to which new ideas entered society, and discrimination in terms of both sexism and racism.

    Read More

  • Changes in America Between 1920 and 1960

    1408 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the years between 1920 and 1960, America saw change in many aspects of life. The United States was a part of two major wars and a crash of the banking system that crippled the economy greater than ever seen in this country’s history. Also the country had new insecurities to tackle such as immigration and poor treatment of workers. These events led to the change of America lives socially, economically, and politically. The people of America changed their ideas of what the country’s place in the world should be. The issues challenging America led the country to change from isolation to war, depression to prosperity, and social change. The threats to American way of life, foreign and domestic, were the changing forces to the country in the twenties to the sixties.

    Read More

  • Technology that Influenced American Development

    1839 Words  | 4 Pages

    Technology is a portion of everyday life. It affects how business is conducted, teaching, learning, and receiving information. Good or bad, everyone uses technology every day. There are many items people have on them on a daily basis, most people would be hard pressed to be without. Technology changed American Lives from 1900 to 1945. At the turn of the 20th century, new technological advances such as electricity, flight, and the gasoline engine found expression in new modes of transportation and communication. How did peoples’ daily lives change as a result of new inventions and technologies? How did the United States change in response to new mobility and improved communications? When we look at some of the most influential inventions or technological advancements during the early 1900’s. What was the impact to the everyday lives of American people and how did these advances change the global economy, military and how The United States rose to prominence as a world power because of the economic and military power gained by these advances? What are the positive and negative factors that some of these advances may have had as well as some of the controversy that surrounds many of these advances? During my research, I found it amazing how far our country had come in 45 years. I was intrigued by the historical events that lead to the innovation and discoveries of the early 20th century. To think of how life was before these innovations is almost unfathomable. Our journey will travel back in time, to a time of simple times, of hard times and of a time of family and community I feel we have all lost as a result of some more recent technological advances. The turn of the century was more impactful than I had originally known and this ...

    Read More

  • Technology of the 1920's

    534 Words  | 2 Pages

    Where would the world be without the inventions and ideas of the 1920's? The answer is, no one really knows; however, the inventions and ideas that were brought about in the 1920's are things that are used more than ever today. With the technological advancements made in the 1920's, the invention of the radio, television, automobile, and other minor advancements made the 1920's one of the most important decades of the 1900's.

    Read More

  • “The Greatest Generation”: A Study of World War II Technology

    806 Words  | 2 Pages

    To some, World War II may seem like a great war that happened a long time ago, a war where however great the innovations during the war were, they are much out of date now, and so they have no impact on today’s world. But to another, who understand the world and how it grows, realize that wherever a nation is, it is in that position because of its history. This means that without all of the improvements of technology during World War II, the world as we know it today would be very much different on many levels. One of the levels which has a great impact on today’s world would be the improvements of technology. But as what was said before, almost anything new cannot be created without first developing the old. Therefore, one must look back at the past to not only find the origins of World War II, and its impact, but also to World War I, and not only did it set the groundwork this massive growth of advancement, but without these technologies, then those who won, may have lost, therefore altering history.

    Read More

  • The Impact of Technology

    1424 Words  | 3 Pages

    Computers are a magnificent feat of technology. They have grown from simple calculators to machines with many functions and abilities. Computers have become so common that almost every home has at least one computer, and schools find them a good source for information and education for their students (Hafner, Katie, unknown). Computers have created new careers and eliminated others and have left a huge impact on our society. The invention of the computer has greatly affected the arts, the business world, and society and history in many different areas, but to understand how great these changes are, it is necessary to take a look at the origins of the computer.

    Read More

  • The Impact of Technology

    1638 Words  | 4 Pages

    Technology – as defined by the US National Academy of Science (cited in Jones 1996, p.17) –

    Read More

More about Effects of Technology in the 1940’s

Open Document